It's my party!!!

Hi,

As you know I've turned one year old and I'm now classified as a big boy! To celebrate, Mummy & Daddy organised a whole lot of my friends to come round and party with me. Hope you enjoy the pics...

Oliver

Aren't balloons fun to play with?...

Sharing toys...

Enjoying being the centre of attention...

I had lots of people to read me stories...

Mummy explaining the cake thing to me...

I have turned ONE!!

I have just had my birthday!!! Before the day arrived I didn't know what a birthday was and wasn't sure what the fuss was about, but now I reckon should have birthdays more often! After breakfast mummy and daddy took me to a huge pile of presents which were all for me! Thank you Mummy and Daddy, Mormor and Morfar, Grandma and Poppa, Uncle Barney, Aunty Sue and Jasper, Aunty Katti, Uncle Matthieu and Alexandra, Charlotte and Ellinor, Emma, Magnus and Elvin, Uncle Murray Aunty Steph, Hannah and Hosea for all the parcels. I had great fun climbing over them and then mummy and daddy showed me it gets better - I could open them and there were things inside!! Of course, I had to play with each toy and read each book before moving on and I'm not very good at removing sellotape (mummy and daddy helped with this), so at nap time I hadn't finished opening - all good as I carried on after lunch... and after my afternoon nap! I feel very spoiled. I decided that as everyone had been so kind I would thank you all by showing off a couple of new skills - standing without holding on to anything and taking my first three steps... as I said, aren't birthdays great!

Here are some pictures from the day...

Love Oliver

Playing with my new truck

I bang here... right

I'm getting the hang of unwrapping parcels

Reading my new book

Daddy and I

I can get anywhere under my own steam now

Unwrapping presents...

Putting my cards up

Climbing over my presents

My new Bible

I didn't know giraffes bounce

Can't you see I'm busy?

Hanoi Adventures

All tired out after a long journey...

James and I sharing our toys...


Do you like my new pinstripes?...

About to call cousin Jasper...

Walking my trolley...

Hi,

Sorry that it's been awhile since my last blog but it seems like I'm hardly ever home now to write to you all... As I informed everybody in my last blog, my standard week now involves going to baby group on Tuesdays and bible study on Wednesdays. I also go into town once a week to have lunch with daddy - just to make sure that he's okay. All of this makes me a busy little boy...

I have noticed that I haven't seen Mackenzie & Georgia for a couple of weeks. Mummy informs me that they are on holiday and will be back soon. I have missed them lots but they did lend me their car (& most importantly to daddy, their driver) so we could still get out and about. So yesterday, I took mummy & daddy along with their friends Will & Fiona and my friend, James to Dong Ky, which is a place east of Hanoi that specialises in making furniture. I was so exhausted once I got there though that I slept through the visit but apparently it was very interesting watching how furniture is made in Vietnam. I do enjoy hanging out with James as he is only a couple of months younger than I am so we're into similar stuff...

The Saturday before we went to Bat Trang, which is a pottery village just outside of Hanoi. It was very exciting that mummy & I had met another Swedish family at the baby group I attend so we invited my new friend, Elvin, & his mummy & daddy - Emma & Magnus to come as well. I must say that it was fun to speak Swedish again...

Since it's been a few weeks since my last blog, I've attached a few videos of my recent developments. I do enjoy rearranging the dining room chairs (for some reason, mummy & daddy always put them by this big flat thing in the dining room) and pushing my high chair around. Daddy thinks that I'm showing impressive technique & that Mike Cron would be proud of me. I hope you enjoy them...

Lots of love,
Oliver...

Swimming with Daddy

Post-swim cuddles with Mummy

Carrot anyone?

My berry face

Walking with my trolley

Check out my top teeth!!

I have advanced taste in reading matter...

Welcome to my room...

Goodness me, life is getting so busy! On Tuesdays I and some other babies meet up so that our mummies (and a couple of daddies) can drink coffee and chat. We meet at a cafe as we have heard that they make great coffee - none of us drink coffee so we haven't checked this out but all the grown-ups seem happy! Wednesdays I go with mummy to meet some other ladies. They do bible study whilst I have a snooze and then I chat to them all and make them smile. They are all very nice to me and Peggy has a cute dog - about the same size as me. We have said hello a few times but mostly we just look at each other. On thursdays we often meet up with auntie Tash. A few weeks ago the three of us went into town and took daddy and uncle Rob out for pho. Both mummy and Aunty Tash were missing Vietnamese food so we guys obliged them! Daddy and Uncle Rob then had to go back to work so the rest of us did some shopping (next time I think I may go back to the office with the boys as I'm usually a big hit with all of daddy's team, and shopping really isn't my favourite passtime... I do like being with mummy and aunty Tash though...especially when Georgia and Mackenzie are around). Two Saturdays ago I went to the Long Bien bridge (built by Eiffel) art festival with Georgia and Mackenzie and all the parents. We were a big hit - not sure how many times we were photographed but mummy and aunty Tash reckon we will have made it into the papers...of course mummy forgot to check...

This weekend just gone I took daddy swimming on both saturday and sunday. Sunday mummy swam too. I really like swimming so its good that we have a pool downstairs. It was still a toasty 26 degrees in the water so hopefully we'll be able to swim for a few weeks yet. Yesterday mummy and I met daddy in town for lunch and then went shopping. I don't undestand it though.. when mummy takes things off the shelf in the shops its Ok, but when I do the same its not!!! We were just leaving to go home when mummy looked in my buggy and found a wooden puzzle there. She told me off for shoplifting and then we had to go all the way back to the shop and return the puzzle... maybe the difference is that mummy often chats to the people by the door before we leave shops, and sometimes I see her giving them some paper. Maybe next time we go out I'll take some paper with me and see if the shop people are happy if I give them that when I take toys off the shelf. Mummy took photos of the 'evidence' using her phone but is still trying to work out how to transfer them to the computer so I'll post them next time.

Love Oliver

We've shifted!!!

Changing a lightbulb - Vietnam style...

Marmite face...

Enjoying walking behind my wheelie box!...


Reading stories in my new room...

Playing with my new block set...

Hi,

Sorry that it's been awhile since my last post but I have been very busy lately shifting apartments. I have my own room which is in the middle between mummy and daddy's room and the study. All three lead straight to the lounge and dining area which is great as it means these areas are an extension of my room when I play. I also have more furniture of my own than in our last apartment. The best things are my shelves which means that my library is within easy reach when I want to chill out with a book. We are on the 17th floor so we have a good view out. Luckily there are these moving boxes outside the apartment which lift you up from ground level because I think 17 flights of stairs would be hard work for mummy when we are going out and daddy is at work.

As part of the shift mummy dug out daddys block set for me so we now have a new game - daddy builds a tower (just like work) and I knock it down. I do wonder who knocks down daddy's buildings at work - if they just get left, surely he will run out of building blocks soon... maybe I should volunteer...

Yesterday I had visitors as Georgia and Mackenzie came to visit with their mummy. It was fun to have friends over to play with - hopefully now that we have friends close by this will become a regular event!

Being a proud and patriotic kiwi I have started eating marmite. I don't understand it but mummy winces every time she spreads it for me and won't touch it, whereas I have to keep my eye on daddy to ensure he doesn't 'share' too much... I think its yummy, and mummy tells me its very good for me! What a bonus! I am also doing well with my weetbix - now up to two weetbix and a banana for breakfast. Apparently this is the same as some adults, but what can I say, us busy boys have to keep our strength up.

I am getting very good at standing up and sitting down, though i still like to be holding on to something for support as my legs are a bit wobbly. I've noticed that some things move when I stand up and lean against them so I have to move my feet to keep up. It's quite good, as in this way, I can get from one place to another without mummy's and daddy's help.

By the way, I was wondering how many of you know how many Vietnamese people it takes to replace a lightbulb? I have recently discovered that it takes 3 - one to screw in the lightbulb, one to supervise & another to hold the chair balanced preciously on two legs on the other chair so the person changing the lightbulb doesn't fall off! Daddy would like to apologise for the slightly funny lighting in the photograph but he couldn't use the camera flash in case it startled them!

Now, I've just realised the time so I'm going to go and have my bath. Until next time...
Love Oliver

It's much easier to stand up if I can hold onto daddy!...

Showing off my new teeth...

Discovering the delights of my toy box (so this is where my toys go to sleep)...

Feeling extra thirsty...

Keeping my feet spread nice and wide for maximum balance...

Well, it's been an interesting couple of weeks since my trip to Singapore. Firstly, I thought that I was coming down with a fever because I felt really hot for 3 days or so. However I found out later that our air-conditioning in our apartment had broken down. I did wonder why it took so long to fix the air-conditioning but Mummy explained to me that things just take a little longer to sort out in Hanoi... Firstly our apartment manager thought that it was still working because it was still blowing air into the apartment. I know that I'm only little but even I know that air-conditioners are supposed to blow cold air in and not replace the air inside with even hotter air from outside! Fortunately, following a few stern words from daddy, they arranged for two repairmen to come round. However I then got even more confused, as the repairmen came for a short time but then left really suddenly. It turns out that they had parked their motorbikes in the wrong place and the police had come to arrest them. I thought that they must be very talented to park their motorbikes in the wrong place because, as far as I can make out, you can park wherever you like... on the road... on the footpath... directly in front of somebody's front door meaning they can't then open the door to get outside... in somebody's living room... Fortunately for us, the repairmen used their "get out of jail free (or not so free) card" and they were back to fix the air-con the next day. I sure was relieved as it's much nicer when the air-conditioning is working!

You will be pleased to know that since my last blog, I have continued to learn more 'tricks' to impress people with. My latest 'trick' is to climb up a step without any help. Mummy was most surprised because I hadn't seen a step before and she hadn't shown me how to climb one. But hey, if I can figure it all out by myself, why should I slow down?...

You know what, sometimes I don't understand Mummy and Daddy at all. Yesterday they made me traffic light lunch - broccoli (green) finger food followed by beef, pumpkin,kumera and carrot mash (orange) and for dessert, sticks of this reddish pink stuff that mummy called water melon. All very nice, but for some reason mummy and daddy decided not to put me in one of grandma's 'protect-all' longsleeve bibs (and I have lots!!). As I am still learning this feeding myself stuff and sometimes things don't end up in my mouth where they are meant to be, I ended up rather colourful and mummy had to give me a complete change of clothes - you would have thought it would have been easier to put a bib on, but hey, what do I know?

This morning my friends Lydia (too many weeks to count older than me) and Elena (3 weeks older than me) and their mummy came to visit us. They arrived in Vietnam recently so I offered that they could come round and play with my toys as theirs are still floating their way across the Pacific. We had a great time, and between us nearly managed to get all the toys out of the toy basket - of course this made getting around a bit of an obstacle course! Hopefully we will get to play together again soon as it was really fun!

Singapore

Choosing my first DVD...

Shawshank Redemption anybody?...

Going for a ride with daddy...

My chipmunk look...

Putting my floaties to good use...

All set & ready to go...

Chillin' by the pool...

Enjoying some snuggle time with Mummy...

I am proud to announce that I have finally managed to cut a tooth that has stayed - well its been there for almost a week so mummy doesn't think that it will disappear. I have previously cut a tooth four times but each time it decided it didn't want to stay and retreated into my gum. It is one of my bottom front teeth. mummy and daddy have tried to take a photo for the blog, but I haven't let them yet... maybe soon...

Yesterday we got back from a weekend trip to Singapore. I had to go for some tests to monitor my reflux and as I am still a little young to travel on my own mummy and daddy came too. The tests were not very nice, but as I knew it had to be done I was a brave boy and didn't cry too much. Apart from my tests we spent most of the time shopping - mummy and daddy had a long list of things that apparently are a little hard to come by in Hanoi. It meant that we didn't see much of Singapore but I now count myself as an expert on Singapore malls! Amongst the shopping we did find time to catch up with Aunty Penny & Uncle Paul. Apparently the stork is booked in to visit them in a couple of months so I thought I'd give Uncle Paul some parenting practice. He seemed to cope quite well so I think he'll go okay...

Now that I'm a big boy and have achieved the grand ol' age of 9 months, mummy & daddy decided that it was time that I learnt to swim. After putting on my togs and some bright orange things that made me feel quite light it was time to brave the water! Fortunately I had mummy and daddy close by to keep me safe and I must say that I did enjoy myself a lot. I'm now looking forward to moving to our new apartment in Hanoi that has a big pool. We're moving in about a months time which gives me a bit of time yet to find all the non-baby-proofed areas of this apartment before we go... my current favorite is the kitchen... going in there guarantees me being picked up by mummy or daddy and of course when they have picked me up they can't help giving me a cuddle!

Must go as it is bath-time.

Love Oliver

Time to toddler-proof the house...I'm on the move!

Chewing the "fat" with Morfar...

I found the Swedish geology very interesting...

Me with mummy & daddy on Hogholmen

Escaping with Morfar...

Riding the cannon at Skansen with mummy...

Saying hello to a goat at Skansen (he didn't seem to mind too much)...

Riding horsey at Skansen with daddy...

My viking heritage comes in handy during shoulder fights...

Playing with cousin Jasper does tire me out!...

Enjoying the serenity with Auntie Sue & Jasper...

Bathtime with Jasper...

About to go exploring with mummy...

Discovering the delights of bubbles...

We're so cute!!

Chillin' out during playtime...

My contemplative look...

Deep discussions with Jasper...

Reading with Mormor

Hey all! I'm back! Sorry its been a while since I was in touch, but i've been on holiday. Most of the holiday was spent at Mormor and Morfars house on Hogholmen - a tiny island outside Stockholm in Sweden. It was a really nice place, but for some reason, getting onto the internet was a nightmare. Mummy and I were away for almost 7 weeks and daddy joined us for the last 3.5. As it was such a long time I thought I would give you the highlights:

• Seeing Morfar and Mormor again (Mormor arrived 2 weeks after us as she was in London waiting for my new cousin to arrive but i looked after Mummy and Morfar very well in her absence).


• Hearing that I had a new cousin - Alexandra Marie. This is especially exciting as I am no longer the youngest of all my cousins!


• Travelling to Dalarna (North of Stockholm) to visit family friends (I charmed them well so they are now all members of my fan club) and also learning a bit of Swedish culture by visiting the Carl Larson House and going to a concert of Swedish music. Gun-britt offered to let me stay after mummy, Mormor and Morfar left, but tempting as it was (she and Arne were really nice and fun to hang out with) I decided that they couldn't manage without me.


• Daddy arriving from Hanoi!!!
  
• Aunty Sue, Uncle Barny and Jasper arriving from Riga. They arrived the same day as daddy so it was all a bit crazy for a while!!
  
• Comparing hairstyles with Jasper - between us we have one full head of hair... I have hair on top and he has hair round the sides... our parents call us Mo (-hawk) and Mul (-let). Not sure if this is a compliment...
  
• Studying Jasper's 'forward gear' technique and then copying it with great success to achieve comando-crawling status...


• Working out how to sit up when I am lying down - its so good not to have to wait for someone to work out that i'm crying because I want to sit up (grown-ups are not so clever so sometimes this took a while!!!)


• Taking my first few steps on my hands and knees - i'm a bit shaky still, but hey, its all about the freedom of movement.


• Eating lots of yummy fish caught by Mummy, Daddy and Morfar and eating blueberries they had picked (though mummy said the blueberries did funny things to the contents of my nappies).
  
• Meeting my cousins Ellinor, Charlotte and Alexandra for the first time.


• Sitting outside & watching the birds fly around and the trees move in the breeze - how's the serenity?


• Going to Skansen (an outdoor Swedish museum) and looking at the Swedish houses and native animals (even if some of them looked very scary... ... and BIG!)


• Travelling into Stockholm and meeting Auntie Helena, Uncle Krister & cousins Karl and Edwin again. I was very proud to show them that I'd learnt to crawl since they last saw me!


• Travelling to Riga with mummy & daddy to stay at cousin Jasper's house.
  
• Snuggles with Mormor... Morfar... Auntie Sue... Uncle Barny... Auntie Helena... + whoever else looked like they might need/like a hug!

• Going on my first overnight ferry trip.